In victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, the heroism and selflessness of Hugo’s character Jean val Jean shows the contagious power of mercy and love. At the story’s beginning, val Jean is a convict breaking parole. Knowing his disenfranchised status, a Bishop shocks val Jean by offering the horrible lawbreker refuge for the night. Sitting down he asks “how do you know I’m not a murder?” (Hugo). At this time in french society, compassion for a convict of any kind, even a meager bread thief, is highly unusual; the compassion shown by the Bishop causes val Jean to question his strange motives and lack of fear. The Bishop shows val Jean even more mercy by letting him leave with valuable silverware and silver candle holders, even lying to authorities to save val Jean. This mercy will transform val Jean into a selfless, loving, and merciful machine forever. His first act to return the Bishop’s Christ-like act is towards the girl with a child out of wedlock (a horrible social embarrassment France), Fontaine. He gives the sickly Fontaine refuge at his home, despite her disgraceful status as a prostitute because he relates to the pain of society ganging up on an innocent individual who made one mistake.
val Jean even shows mercy to his enemies. When Inspector Javert thinks he mistakenly accused val Jean and demands punishment for himself, val Jean “order[s] you [him] to forgive yourself [himself]” because people deserve to “start with a clean slate” (Hugo). The Bishop’s forgiveness for val Jean's mistake continues to radiate from val Jean. He believes that everyone, including his nemesis Javert, deserves the forgiveness which society does not grant. His conflict with Javert, who is the embodiment of law and order, symbolizes how his view juxtaposes Hugo’s belief of society’s structure. The conflict between forgiving val Jean and merciless Javert symbolize the society conflict between mercy and revenge in disguise, justice; French society is structured for the latter. val Jean's heroic battle with revenge continues through the rest of the story. In the very last scene, when Javert demands to know why valJean did not kill him when he had the chance a several scenes earlier, valJean calmly explains that he “[doesn’t] hate you [Javert]” and that he “[doesn’t] have the right” (Hugo) to kill him. val Jean's final words of the novel summarize Hugo’s view on morality: one mistake, one immoral act, does not give society or individuals any right to impose revenge or punishment. val Jean also shows Hugo’s belief that devotion to love and forgiveness spreads as it is shown to others. From the beginning, the Bishop showed val Jean how great it felt to receive mercy, and from that point onward, val Jean spread that mercy just like the Bishop. Despite it's juxtaposition with society, contagious love and mercy craft true selfless heroes.
val Jean even shows mercy to his enemies. When Inspector Javert thinks he mistakenly accused val Jean and demands punishment for himself, val Jean “order[s] you [him] to forgive yourself [himself]” because people deserve to “start with a clean slate” (Hugo). The Bishop’s forgiveness for val Jean's mistake continues to radiate from val Jean. He believes that everyone, including his nemesis Javert, deserves the forgiveness which society does not grant. His conflict with Javert, who is the embodiment of law and order, symbolizes how his view juxtaposes Hugo’s belief of society’s structure. The conflict between forgiving val Jean and merciless Javert symbolize the society conflict between mercy and revenge in disguise, justice; French society is structured for the latter. val Jean's heroic battle with revenge continues through the rest of the story. In the very last scene, when Javert demands to know why valJean did not kill him when he had the chance a several scenes earlier, valJean calmly explains that he “[doesn’t] hate you [Javert]” and that he “[doesn’t] have the right” (Hugo) to kill him. val Jean's final words of the novel summarize Hugo’s view on morality: one mistake, one immoral act, does not give society or individuals any right to impose revenge or punishment. val Jean also shows Hugo’s belief that devotion to love and forgiveness spreads as it is shown to others. From the beginning, the Bishop showed val Jean how great it felt to receive mercy, and from that point onward, val Jean spread that mercy just like the Bishop. Despite it's juxtaposition with society, contagious love and mercy craft true selfless heroes.